A recent summer afternoon brought a quick “jail break” with my colleague Wendy to Luke’s Lobster in the East Village. Luke’s, which opened in the Fall, serves fresh Maine lobster caught the day before in generous portions for a wallet-easy $14. Its fresh ingredients have kept this small spot on the foodie radar for months so I was eager to get a taste. Luke’s did not disappoint! It is now my official go-to lobster roll in the city.

Below is a shot of the generously portioned roll with large chunks of lobster and none of that mayonnaise / salad nonsense that ruins so many lobster rolls. For size context, the bread is a butter toasted hot dog bun (and my butter toasted, I mean butter soaked deliciousness). Whole claw meat chunks are common in the mix, which make for succulent bites to pull out of the roll and eat alone.

The seafood schooner package offers a full meal including roll, chips, soda, and a pickle for $16 - a steal in my book. And not just any soda at that - delicious Maine Root sodas in flavors like blueberry, ginger, and classic root beer. Very refreshing on a hot day.

While the space is small Wendy and I found the line to move plenty quickly to make this a quick lunch and the Luke’s crowd was comfortable crowding in to available stools, or taking their rolls for a walking lunch. And with Luke’s within easy striking distance of my apartment, I know I’ll be back soon for another taste of Maine in the city.

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